LIV Golf vs PGA explained: Who represents who?

Professional golf has undergone one of its most significant transformations in recent years with the emergence of LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed rival to the PGA Tour.

What began as a disruptor quickly evolved into a deep rift in the sport, sparking controversy, legal battles, and now a potential merger that could reshape the landscape of professional golf.

Ladbrokes looks at the key developments in the LIV Golf-PGA Tour saga, why the issue is controversial, who represents each side and whether LIV players can play in Major championships.

LIV Golf launched in 2022, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), with the goal of creating a new, modernised version of professional golf. It introduced 54-hole tournaments, team competitions, no cuts, and significantly larger prize pools.

High-profile players joined after being offered lucrative contracts, creating a rift with the PGA Tour, which had previously governed the sport for the majority its professional existence.

1. Funding Source: LIV is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, raising ethical concerns and accusations of "sportswashing" due to the country's record of human rights issues.

2. Division in the Game: The PGA Tour banned LIV players, splintering the field and causing uncertainty in tournaments and global rankings, with many questioning the competitiveness and quality of courses involved in the breakaway league's tournaments.

3. Legal Disputes: Both sides filed lawsuits against one another, which were later dropped, which deepened the standoff and mistrust between tours and its players.

Six-time Major champion and golf legend Phil Mickelson was one of LIV’s earliest defectors and remains one of their most vocal supporters.

Brooks Koepka won his fifth Major title at the 2023 PGA Championship while representing the breakaway league, with Cameron Smith joining LIV shortly after winning the Claret Jug at The Open in 2022. Dustin Johnson, a former World No. 1 and two-time major winner, also signed on early and has become a cornerstone of the LIV roster.

Bryson DeChambeau, who is among the contenders to win upcoming PGA Championship and US Open, also notably defected to LIV, as did Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Louis Oosthuizen.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest wins for LIV was securing the services of Jon Rahm, the reigning 2023 Masters champion at the time of his switch, in 2023.

The two most prominent figures on the PGA side are this year's Masters winner Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who handed him the Green Jacket this year after winning at Augusta for the second time in 2024.

The importance of their loyalty to the PGA Tour cannot be underestimated, with the duo the top two in the favourites for each of the remaining three Major championships this year and ranked one and two in the world.

McIlroy in particular has been a vocal supporter of the PGA's cause and has regularly criticised LIV previously, though his stance has softened since the two organisations announced plans to merge last year.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, both Major champions and Ryder Cup veterans, have remained loyal to the PGA, along with rising stars like Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele.

Yes, LIV golfers can still compete in Major championships, which are comprised of The Masters, The U.S. Open, The Open Championship and The PGA Championship.

Each major is run by an independent governing body, not the PGA Tour, and currently allows qualified LIV players to compete. Players can qualify through:

• Past major victories which grant long-term exemptions
• World Golf Ranking
• Past performance in that Major or special invites.

These exceptions have seen LIV Golfers such as Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith win the 2023 PGA Championship and the 2022 Open respectively, with their victories allowing them to continue competing in Majors for the foreseeable future.

John Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, remains fully exempt into every Major for the next several years despite controversially ditching the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in late 2023.

However, over time, LIV players who don’t already hold exemptions or perform well in majors may find it harder to qualify due to a lack of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points on the LIV circuit.

The OWGR board recently denied LIV Golf’s application for points, citing concerns over format and competitiveness of the competitions under the new organisation.

In June 2023, the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and DP World Tour stunned the world by announcing plans to merge commercial operations.

The deal would end legal disputes and create a new unified for-profit entity. Saudi Arabia’s PIF would be a key investor.

Despite the announcement, a final agreement is still in negotiation, and there’s been no formal integration of players or events thus far.

A potential merger being agreed would bring to end years of uncertainty, but it would also present plenty of questions.

While LIV and PGA players will likely be able compete regularly in the same events with the golf calendar unified once again, it remains to be seen how the balance of power is decided with the new agreement.

The PGA Tour, an organisation formed nearly 100 years ago and steeped in tradition, are unlikely to want to hand over the reigns concerning the direction of the sport to LIV Golf but with the PIF behind them, some concessions are likely to have to be made form the PGA side.

Though controversial, the vast amounts of wealth the PIF can bring could also be seen as an exciting prospect for the future of golf, which could help it bring in a whole new audience and significantly grow the game. 

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